When I heard William Fitzsimmons’ music, I thought, “This man must have taken a trip around my soul for inspiration.”
I had the same thought when I heard Mumford & Sons, Thriving Ivory, The Weepies, Brett Dennen, and to be honest, Taylor Swift. It happens all the time with music, and it’s the weirdest feeling. You’re so happy to hear your feelings and thoughts validated, but at the same time it’s like you’ve been gutted, like the artists have taken your insides and put them on display.
It happens even more with YA books than it does with music.
I read If I Stay this weekend, and as I made my way through it I thought, “Ok, I like this and want to finish it, but I don’t really get the hype.”
I also read The Hunger Games this weekend. When my squeamish stomach couldn’t handle it anymore, I put it down and picked up If I Stay instead
I read two pages and then had to put the book down, because it had gutted me.
Suddenly, all of the uncomfortable feelings I pushed away surfaced, and I cried and avoided the book because I hate those feelings so much.
I went back to The Hunger Games. MINOR SPOILER ALERT! When Katniss got hurt, physically or emotionally, I felt it. When Katniss yells Peeta’s name for the first time during the Games, I heard it. When Katniss worried about Peeta, I worried with her. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that close to characters before. I honestly feel like I know them, and I care about them like I do. I finished the book Friday morning, but the characters haven’t left me. For the record, I haven’t read Catching Fire or Mockingjay yet, so no spoilers in the comments please.
I finished If I Stay and cried at least two more times in the process.
Those are powerful books.
They got inside of me. If I Stay was almost too real for me to handle. The Hunger Games gave me characters that I cared deeply about, like they were my friends.
Those are brilliant books.
What books have gotten inside of you?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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2 comments:
*Heavy sigh* Hunger Games got me too. You think Peeta's hot, wait for Finnick (that's not a spoiler. That's just me and my obscure love for secondary characters, Dean Thomas style).
Like you, I often ended up yelling at the book, including while I was on the train, which was awkward for all involved. Especially because I yelled "He's in the mud, you TARD!". Ahh, Peeta good times.
Harry Potter of course, got me too. And (I'll admit it) the Da Vinci Code. I mean, come on, who saw all those twists coming!? Not me! :D
Ahh...both HG and IF I STAY really did me in, but others that really knocked me for a loop are BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz, WINTERGIRLS by LHA, and 13 REASONS WHY by Jay Asher. Freaking Awesome books if you ask me :)
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